A BOOZED-UP burglar stole a crate of lager and downed half a bottle of wine before leaving the rest and fleeing, a court heard.

Sean Fletcher, 39, was trapped for the break-in after leaving blood up the walls and on light switches in the house in Stockton.

He claimed others had broken into the Piperknowle Road property and he climbed in through an already-broken window on January 27.

Fletcher said he stole only 24 bottles of Stella Artois and an iPod although a camera and another MP3 player were also taken.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs told Teesside Crown Court that he also drank half of a bottle of wine and left the remainder.

Rachel Dyson, mitigating, said Fletcher had stayed out of trouble recently but started drinking again after family trouble.

She told the court that he had been boozing before the night-time break-in while the occupant and her children were out.

"He says it was incredibly opportunistic in his behalf," said Miss Dyson. "He was showing significant progress before this.

"He seems to have had a rather significant relapse in respect of alcohol. He was drunk on this particular occasion.

"When I saw him in the magistrates court, he was absolutely disappointed with himself because he had been doing so well.

"It is clear the Probation Service, despite this offence, are willing to work with him. There were significant personal circumstances at the time of this offence."

Fletcher, of Garburt Road, Stockton, admitted burglary and was jailed for a year by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC.

The court heard that he has 105 crimes on a record going back more than 25 years, and was the subject of a community order for stealing a phone from a neighbour at the time of the break-in.

Judge Bourne-Arton told him: "Your offending has tailed off but have let yourself down badly and only you can be blamed for that."

The court heard how the householder and her children feel "insecure, intimidated and nervous" and have trouble sleeping.